Series & Grade

Promotion Potential

Supervisory Status

Who May Apply

Control Number

Job Announcement Number

Job Overview

Summary

Do you desire to protect American interests and secure our Nation while building a meaningful and rewarding career? If so, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling.

DHS components work collectively to prevent terrorism, secure borders, enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard cyberspace and ensure resilience to disasters. The vitality and magnitude of this mission is achieved by a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

Discover a challenging and rewarding career with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the sole organization responsible for securing the nation's borders. At CBP, we:

Secure and facilitate trade and travel while enforcing hundreds of U.S. regulations, including immigration and drug laws

Assists the Department of Justice in civil actions involving CBP by preparing litigation reports, affidavits, and other pleadings, and participating in discovery, motion drafting, settlement discussions, and providing litigation support; and

Advocates for claims filed on behalf of the Government and provides legal opinions and advice concerning resolution of claims against the government arising out of CBP operations.

Travel Required

Occasional Travel

Refer to Other Information Section for details

Relocation Authorized

No

Job Requirements

Key Requirements

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position

Successfully pass initial and periodic background investigations

Selective Service registration

Qualifications

Applicant must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;

Specialized Education: Recent law school graduates may be appointed to attorney positions at the GS-11 level with the following additional qualifications: rank in the top 1/3 of graduating class; participation on the school's official Law Review; membership in the Order of the Coif; or winning of a moot court competition. An interim appointment of 14 months may be made pending the selectee's admission to the bar. Selectee will be required to provide admittance and current active standing to the Bar and possibly a copy of their official law school transcript.

Application materials will not be returned.
This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process (Excepted Service) and is not in the competitive civil service.

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however the Office of Chief Counsel considers veterans preference eligibility as a positive factor in the hiring process.

The qualifications listed above must be met by Thursday, August 21, 2014 and are subject to verification at any stage of the application process.

Relocation: Should relocation funding be available, expenses may be offered to the selectee as a lump-sum payment under CBP's Voluntary Relocation Plan test program (VRP) in lieu of any relocation benefits available under the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), 41 C.F.R., Subtitle F, Chapter 302. Only current CBP employees are eligible to participate in the VRP. New appointees to the Government and non-CBP employees are not eligible to participate in the VRP. The amount of the lump-sum payment will vary depending upon whether you rent or own your current residence and whether your residence is a single or multiple-person household. Any relocation expenses incurred that are greater than the VRP lump-sum payment amount will be your responsibility, and no subsequent claims for relocation expenses will be granted by CBP. The lump-sum payment, which will be made through direct deposit, will be treated as wages and, thus, will be subject to all applicable employment tax withholdings. To be eligible for the VRP, you must sign an employment agreement by completing CBP Form 334C-1 at the time of selection. Additional information can be found in CBP Directive 5330-026a, which is available on the CBPNet Policy Page.

Security Clearance

Public Trust - Background Investigation

Additional Information

What To Expect Next

After review of the application packages is complete, highly qualified applicants may be contacted for interviews.

For more information on applying for Federal employment, please click here .

EEO Policy Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Probationary Period: You will be required to serve a probationary period of 2 years.

Promotion Potential: When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.
Veterans Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however the Office of Chief Counsel considers veteran's preference eligibility as a positive factor in the hiring process.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Residency: If you are not currently a CBP employee, you must meet one or more of the following primary residency criteria for the last three years prior to applying to this announcement:

Resided in the United States or its protectorate or territories (excluding short trips abroad such as vacations); or

Worked for the United States government as an employee overseas in a Federal or military capacity; or

Have been a dependent of a United States Federal or military employee serving overseas.

Exceptions may be granted to applicants if they can provide complete stateside coverage information required to make a suitability/security determination. Examples include: the stateside addresses of anyone who worked or studied with the applicant while overseas; the company headquarters where the applicant's personnel file is located; professor(s) in charge of the applicant's "Study Abroad" program or; church records for the applicant's overseas church missions. Applicants must provide this information with their application for employment.

How to Apply

Submit your application by mail to:

Office of Associate Chief Counsel - Atlanta

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

1699 Phoenix Parkway, Suite 300

Atlanta, GA 30349

All required information and documents must be postmarked by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, August 21, 2014. If all materials are not received, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible.

If you fax, hand-deliver or email your application, it will not be considered. Inquiries regarding this job opportunity announcement should be directed to: Ms. Elizabeth Reyes at (305) 536-4321.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Applicants will be rated based on their education, experience, demonstrated legal research and writing abilities, and performance during the interview process, which may include personal interview(s) and a writing exercise.

Required Documents

You must include the following information (in addition to specific information requested elsewhere in the vacancy announcement) to receive consideration for this position:

 Cover letter: Your application package must include a cover letter expressing your interest in this position. Please do not exceed two pages. Application packages received without a cover letter will not be given consideration.

 Resume: A resume that includes announcement number, veterans preference, your full name, address, phone number and the last four digits of your Social Security Number and a detailed description of your experience, education, training and self-development and the dates you performed them (MM/DD/YY), as well as your work schedule and salary.

 Transcripts: From an ABA accredited approved law school or equivalent is required. Education must be from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials. For a listing of accrediting agencies, please see http://www.naces.org/members.htm.

It is your responsibility to verify that information submitted (e.g., resume, veterans documentation, and SF-50's) is received and accurate and must be in English.

Applications and supporting documentation will only be accepted by mail at the address listed under the "How to Apply" section. The section also outlines the contact information for inquires.